Like the Raptors, ratings for the NBA’s Eastern Conference Finals dissipated quickly after briefly showing life.
Game 6 of the Cavaliers/Raptors NBA Eastern Conference Finals earned a 4.5 overnight rating on ESPN Friday night. There was no comparable game in last year’s conference finals, and overnights were not immediately available for Pacers/Heat Game 6 in 2014.
So far, final ratings for the Cavaliers/Raptors series have fallen between 17% and 22% from the overnight, putting Friday’s game on pace to finish in the 3.5-3.7 range. No conference final Game 6 has had a rating lower than 3.9 since Heat/Pistons in 2005 (3.2).
The Cavaliers’ series-clinching win earned the second-highest overnight of the series, trailing Game 4 (5.0) and ahead of Game 2 (4.4). The first five games each hit a multi-year low in the metered markets, and it is likely that Game 6 did so as well.
ESPN’s numbers were hamstrung by the presence of the Raptors, a lightly-regarded, mostly unknown team that hails from a market that does not count toward U.S. television ratings. Though Toronto made things interesting for a time, each of their four losses was a wipeout — especially Wednesday’s 38-point Game 5 drubbing.
(Fri. numbers from ESPN)
